


portraits of men

by spidersrorg



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Banter, M/M, Married Couple, Painting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 15:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13592742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidersrorg/pseuds/spidersrorg
Summary: Being royalty had its challenges.One not accounted for: sitting still for hours to be painted.





	portraits of men

Hushed whispers from down the hall of the banquet made Niles laugh.

 

_ Ooh, who’s that handsome man standing next to Regent Leo in the portrait? _

 

If only they knew.

 

\--

 

“Fuck, Leo, these pants are riding up my ass.”

 

A heavy sigh, “Niles, put up with it. It’s only a few hours.”

 

“That’s easy to say when you’re the one sitting!”

 

The clothes Niles wore were by no means comfortable. Full retainer regalia, combined with that of a Prince Consort. The clothes were picked out meticulously, by some sort of code that Niles did not know existed and did not care existed but apparently was so important a * _ motherfucking council  _ had been drawn upon to decide his  _ clothes. _

 

Clothes he was going to wear only once. Thank the gods only once, because they constricted him in every uncomfortable nook and cranny.

 

There was a bright side in that, though.

 

He had angled his body so that his waist faced forward. 

 

History would remember his well-defined package in these ill-fitting clothes.

 

Leo wore most of what would be a King’s regalia. He was to play part as Regent while King Xander was away from Nohr for an undisclosed period of time.

 

That was the reason they being painted.

 

For a third prince, the only portraits, if any, that would be done would be for sentimental purposes. As a Regent standing in as king, however, a portrait was considered an important historical document. One that was a must, by old laws and codes that were nonsensical except to those who had spent years studying them.

 

Apparently those codes required the Regent’s spouse to be in the damned portrait. If it had been up to Niles, he would have been sitting off to the side, jesting with Leo. Not standing stiff in a militant position.

 

Leo drummed the rings of his left fingers against the arm of the chair, “If you distract our historian, Niles, we may very well be here longer.”

 

Niles could only sigh.

 

This sort of thing suited Leo. The nice clothes that had taken a good two hours to get right, the jewels, the regal posture with which he held himself in the ornate chair brought into the library just for this.

 

Brynhildr sat in Leo’s lap, propped against one arm so that the cover could be seen. Other adornments were in the room, things that would identify what kind of person Leo was, his achievements, his personality, to generations come. Leo had chosen some of the things for himself, but others were chosen by a council, things known to be symbolic in their odd code. 

 

The only things Niles could point out were the ones he knew Leo chose for the portrait: a bowl of tomatoes, a stack of books, Brynhildr. Then one other thing.

 

Sitting in sight, but unobtrusively, was the star globe that he had gifted to Niles.

 

That was the only thing that told of Niles’ personality in the room. And it was all Niles could have wanted.

 

Niles reached up and wiped his face with his hand, which was received with an, “oi, oi, oi!” from the painter.

 

“What? This mask is sweaty and that hair shit is running down my face.”

 

That gel had been a horrible experience.  _ Why  _ in Dragon’s wrath would he ever want this hairstyle? Slicked back and tied off into a ponytail. A ponytail held by an unnecessarily ornate fastener.

 

“You’ll mess up your makeup, Niles,” Leo huffed again, “and who wanted the mask to begin with?”

 

The black leather that curved over the right side of his face had, indeed, been Niles’ idea. It was mysterious! A much better look for someone standing by Leo than someone with an eyepatch, who everyone would know had a nasty hole underneath it, and then that everyone would question why the beautiful and handsome Lord Leo would ever romance someone so disgusting--

 

Anyway, the mask still was sweaty.

 

“It’s getting in my eye hole, Leo. It’s gross. And I don’t like the makeup.”

 

“I very well know that is not how it is under your patch, Niles,” Leo snorted, “But I now know you’re only complaining to entertain me.”

 

Niles gave a chuckle and squeezed Leo’s hand. The way they were positioned, Niles stood to the left behind Leo’s chair, his right hand upon the back of it, the left settled on Leo’s right upon the arm of the chair. His wedding ring glinting atop Leo’s fingers.

 

That was proof enough of who he was, wasn’t it? No need for a council to decide his clothes. 

 

Leo glanced up at him, a smile curling on his lips. A sign Niles’ attempt to cheer him had worked.

 

“Though it doesn’t suit me, milord looks handsome donned with such makeup,” Niles cooed.

 

Leo chuckled, “Were I to wear this everyday, the folk would think I was playing a clown. This is only to enhance us for our portrait.”   
  
“Oh, but milord, I’m dreaming of seeing the rosey marks from your painted lips upon my chest--”   
  


“Be careful, Niles. Those pants leave little to the imagination.”

 

Niles laughed, a real smile coming to his face when he saw Leo’s blush even under layers upon layers of powder. His lord could combat him even when so flustered.

 

“So, how handsome do you think he’s making me?”

 

“He needs paint true to life, Niles,” Leo hummed, “So I’d say godlike.”

 

Niles was taken aback for a moment, meaning that only to be a tease, surprised by a real answer and not a clever comeback. After all of the banter before that, he was certain to receive a tease. The response Leo gave sounded so genuine, that Niles himself felt flustered.

 

He was supposed to be the one doing the flustering! Leo knew his weak points, it seemed.  _ Genuine affection _ . It would be dangerous were anyone else to know such a weakness.... But Leo already had his life and heart.

 

“Milord is the looker in this portrait,” Niles then cooed, but there was a _ tone  _ in his voice he couldn’t hide, one that Leo would certainly pick up on--

 

“My dearest husband seems to have had his heart pierced,” Leo smirked, “Should he need more tender words to warm him?”

 

“We’re far beyond the need for flirting, milord, you’ve already wooed me--”

 

“No, this is to remind you of certain endearments…” Leo turned his right hand over to lace fingers with Niles’ left, brushing over Niles’ wedding band.

 

“Oi, oi, oi!”

 

Leo quickly returned his hand to its original position. They certainly didn’t want to remain in position for all of the time that it would take to fix that mistake. 

 

Though the several hours standing there were hellish, there was a comfort in it.

 

Rarely could he and Leo spend a day alone. Their lives had grown busy and their moments together were often fleeting, or only in the dead of night. But they had this time together alone.

 

...If it could be considered alone, what with the painter staring at them.

**Author's Note:**

> man i wrote this back in /july/ and i never posted it? im posting it standalone rather than into my collection because it is over 1k.
> 
> also wow catch that reference to my other fic (turn of the globe) that i saw while rereading this lmao


End file.
